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Schoolteacher Barbara Covett has known none but the most solitary of lifestyles until Sheba Hart joins St. George's. Starting by sharing lunches, then family events, the new art teacher draws Barbara into a touching confidence. Unbeknownst to their colleagues, however, another relationship blossoms meanwhile: Sheba has begun a passionate aff... more »air with an underage male student. When the details come to light and Sheba falls prey to the inevitable media circus, Barbara decides to write an account in her friend’s defense--revealing not only Sheba's secrets but her own.« less

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Top Member Book Reviews

I found this book rather abrupt and, sorry to say, pointless. It is written like a memoir and the scandalous headline could very well come from the modern day tabloids. However, this book did too good a job reining in the emotions. There's many subjects implied but never elaborated (for example, the jealousy the narrator feels when Sheba befriends another female teacher) and what we get is the antiseptic story of a teacher having relations with a minor. There's not even a clear picture of why the narrator decides she is going to stick by Sheba, or even if she plans to continue to stick with her until the scandal dies down.

I found this novel a compulsive read, very well written, an unusual twist on a scandal between a teacher and her teenage student, set in London. This talented writer's insights are truly spellbinding and spot-on.